The flowers are showy and pronounced elements of the bog habitat flora. (Photos will be added to this page as the display gets better). They are good-sized, deep pink, less often white (C. tuberosus forma albiflorus) and number between three and twenty-five per inflorescence.

Calopogon means beautiful beard--in reference to the fine hairs on the lip of the flower. They are borne on racemes up to 45 cm (18 inches) tall and present in a non-resupinate fashion, with their labellum, or lip, uppermost (in contrast to most orchids). All the flowers on a raceme open in near unison, and reportedly last for a long period (I'll report back...) adding punch to an already spectacular display.

The plant comes from a small corm and consists of only one or two ribbed, grass-like leaves that are shorter than the inflorescence, which arises at the same time. It multiplies by offsets from these corms and by seed. Each season the blooming corm is replaced by a new one. Where conditions favor it, C. tuberosus can form large colonies.

Calopogon tuberosus blooms in March in the southern reaches of its range and in August in its Canadian home. Its timing couldn't be better here in New York, starting now and carrying on into July.

Grass Pinks tolerate many habitats but favor bogs and moist spots where it grows with Sarracenia (Pitcher Plants), cranberries, bog rosemary, bog laurel, and other plants commonly associated with this set of conditions. It's also found along lake shores and in moist prairies.

Given that there seems to be a paucity of plants providing such impact for boggy sites, Calopogon tuberosus is a valuable addition to the garden. There are four or five species in the genus Calopogon but only C. tuberosus is found in the north of their range. It also has the largest range of any of the species, from eastern Canada, south to Florida and Cuba, and west to Texas.

The bog here at Turtle Point is constructed with a rubber liner which contains about 18 inches of medium composed of peat moss and sand in roughly equal measures. The Calopogon were acquired as corms and planted last November amongst the pitcher plants and other inhabitants that were installed at the same time. I confess before you all that NO special measures were taken either at planting time, or thereafter. Planted last fall, flowers this summer...best find some for yourself!  

_____________________________

Copyright  2006- 2007 by Carlo A. Balistrieri.
All rights reserved.